The Ted Haggard mess
It was hard to watch--another pominent pastor of a large church implodes. Purchasing meth and having sex with a gay prostitute isn't something you expect a pastor to be charged with. But it happens every now and then. It's sad. It's gives the church a black eye. It gives skeptics more ammo for not going to church. It destroys a pastor and his family. It destroys a local congregation (New Life Church in Colorado). It just destroys.
That's what sin does.
One thing it's reminded me of is that we're all sinners--pastors included. Church leaders are every bit as human as the next person. We are every bit in need of grace. If any of us thinks we are "beyond moral sin" we're deceiving ourselves. There is darkness within us that left unchecked will destroy us.
Another thing it's reminded me of is the need for accountability and vulnerability with others. When we stop talking honestly with others about our sin we are on the road to ruin. After this mess surfaced I called my accountability partner and we talked very openly about what we need to do to stay on the right path. We raised the bar and are committed to praying for each other.
One last thing (I'll post some more on this later) it's reminded me of is the need to build an "environment of honesty" at Crossroads--to build the kind of church where we can come out of hiding and share our struggles and get help. I want that to be true for pastors, leaders, and all who attend. I don't think Haggard had that option. That's my guess.
I cannot imagine the horror that Haggard's family and his former church family are going through. Please join me in praying for them. Pray for healing and restoration. Pray that somehow God will do something good through this mess. Finally, pray for the pastors and leaders at Crossroads.
That's what sin does.
One thing it's reminded me of is that we're all sinners--pastors included. Church leaders are every bit as human as the next person. We are every bit in need of grace. If any of us thinks we are "beyond moral sin" we're deceiving ourselves. There is darkness within us that left unchecked will destroy us.
Another thing it's reminded me of is the need for accountability and vulnerability with others. When we stop talking honestly with others about our sin we are on the road to ruin. After this mess surfaced I called my accountability partner and we talked very openly about what we need to do to stay on the right path. We raised the bar and are committed to praying for each other.
One last thing (I'll post some more on this later) it's reminded me of is the need to build an "environment of honesty" at Crossroads--to build the kind of church where we can come out of hiding and share our struggles and get help. I want that to be true for pastors, leaders, and all who attend. I don't think Haggard had that option. That's my guess.
I cannot imagine the horror that Haggard's family and his former church family are going through. Please join me in praying for them. Pray for healing and restoration. Pray that somehow God will do something good through this mess. Finally, pray for the pastors and leaders at Crossroads.
posted by Pastor Phil Print at 2:53 PM
14 Comments:
A lot of it has to do with accountability. My guess is that he did not have good systems in place. Gordon McDonald is a good guy to turn to and learn from in this instance. He too derailed a promising career in ministry with personal indescressions. He came clean, and turned things around. I think there is hope for Haggard too.
I think it is particularly difficult for men in high visibility positions to be fully accountable. A lot of it is pride and ego. Many men don't like to be completely open with other men (men need other men for true accountability), and it is further exacerbated by the bright spotlight high profile pastors live under. Creating and maintaining a culture in a church where this is the expectation is critical in my opinion. The strong male leaders need to set the example and lead in this area. It is something that needs to be implemented on every level. All the way down to High School students need accountability partners. There is a lot more here, but I'll save that for some other time.
I'll borrow a bit from Mark Driscoll's blog, and share the requirements for elders and pastors in 1 Tim 3:
17 Qualifications of an Elder-Pastor from 1 Timothy 3:1–7
Relation to God
* A man – masculine leader
* Above reproach – without any character defect
* Able to teach – effective Bible communicator
* Not a new convert – mature Christian
Relation to Family
* Husband of one wife – one-woman man, sexually pure (this does not require a man to be married, as Paul, Timothy, Jesus, and widowed men could qualify)
* Has obedient children – successful father
* Manages family well – provides for, leads, organizes, loves
Relation to Self
* Temperate – mentally and emotionally stable
* Self-controlled – disciplined life of sound decision-making
* Not given to drunkenness – without addictions
* Not a lover of money – financially content and upright
Relation to Others
* Respectable – worth following and imitating
* Hospitable – welcomes strangers, especially non-Christians for evangelism
* Not violent – even-tempered
* Gentle – kind, gracious, loving
* Not contentious – peaceable, not quarrelsome or divisive
* Good reputation with outsiders – respected by non-Christians
It's a high standard, but clearly a necessary one.
Big Chris
a couple thoughts on the haggard mess-
i don't believe these types of things can ever be a blackeye to the testimony of Christ. this was however, hypocrosy & a blight to the political & moral battle that haggard & company was wagging through their church. the testimony of Christ however still holds true; "let God be true & every man a liar". i don't know what others have as a testimony, but mine is, that a holy & awesome God has bowed himself to be gracious to one such as me who was dead in my trespasses & sins. now that i've been redeemed, my testamony is that God has broken the chains of bondage for me through giving me a new sinnless spirit & nature. however, for lack of discipline/dedication, i often revert to the sinnful impulses of my mind & flesh. that my friends, i believe keeps the focus of testimony on the goodness of God & not on us!
I think it is remarkable that Broken drives 45 minutes to Crossroads - wow!
My family (parents, siblings) are not saved. They believe these pastors of infamy are "in it for the money." Every Christian acquaintance that divorces, curses, cheats, lies, etc. adds another concrete block to their prison of despair, their belief that God does not change lives, that He is a myth and a fairy tale, and that we (to quote my father) are all destined to "die like weeds."
On the other hand, I've heard them talk with wonderment and respect when they meet someone who, say, has lost a child to cancer and yet still attends church and praises God. This is the glorious testimony that rings loud and true to the ears of a nonbeliever.
Just for the sake of intellectual inquiry: Can we assume that every TV evangelist asking for money is a sincere believer? Does Satan ever plant people in positions of power so that they might deal a blow to the faith? Why did Jesus warn about the yeast of the Pharisees? Is false doctrine delivered by a righteous man more dangerous than true doctrine delivered by an unrighteous man? What does it mean to be discerning? What is a wolf in sheep's clothing? And where did I last leave my car keys?
Many, though not all, of the pastors you see on TBN fall into the category of Word of Faith preachers. They preach a very dangerous and misleading message, a message that is unbiblical. The issue of whether they are truly Christians is not something we can really probably know, but if they are, they have a warped and perverse theology. Some of them enter into territory that is outright heretical (like Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn for example). The Bible speaks about false teachers who will come from within the church. Acts 20:28-31, 1 Timothy 6:3-10, 2 Timothy 2 and Jude 4 talk about this.
And I think your car keys are in the fridge next to the Jello and below the coffee creamer.
Big Chris
mrclm -
yours is a pretty bold proclamation, my dear friend!
what exactly is heretical regarding kenneth copeland's theology? is it that he believes in the baptism/gifts of the Spirit? That the church is heir to the blessings of Abraham?
If you're calling those who may over emphasis new testament doctrine heretical, what would you call those who blatantly omit it?
Perhaps it's copeland's bold professions of faith?
I'd say that a casual glance at the 1st century church would suggest that most of the modern church under-emphasis the power invested in us & our lack of acting upon it!
I'm not necessarily a copeland & hinn advocate, but I've learned not to throw the baby out with the bathwater!
I have no comment on Hinn, Copeland or any of the Word of Faith dudes--don't watch them. I'll let Big Chris and Passionate battle this one out. I want to keep the spotlight on the heart of this issue--hiddenness and accountability. Whatever is hidden cannot be healed and will eventually "sink our spiritual ship". Haggard lived with hidden sin so long that it did him in. That's one thing we have to do a better job with in our Life Groups or Meal Groups. In my Life Group the men split off from the women for sharing and prayer. It's been a huge win. We (guys) can share soome of stuff much more freely and we've even added an accountability element to our group life.
Broken, I apologize on behalf of "the church" for what you experienced for coming clean. We have to do a much better job living out the verse in James that says "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each so that you may be healed..."
I'm with Phil on this one, and did not intend to derail what was the intent of the thread. If you want read some quotes from Hinn or Copeland they are easy to find on the net. An example would be at Apologetics for Christians or Discernment.org - Word of Faith.
As an unrelated note, I blogged the Crazy Weekend on my blog - Because I said so blog.
Big Chris
Thank you for that information!
If you would like to read what the Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, most Evangelicals…etc, teach & believe regarding; our position in Christ, the baptism/gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power of faith, miracles, healings & all the "signs that shall follow them that believe", please refer to the following information:
Passionate,
I'm pretty up to date on these types of issues. I am in the process of finishing my last two classes for my M.Div. at Bethel Seminary (where I first met Pastor Phil).
While I don't alway agree with 100% of what he writes or says, one of the best resources available for a condensed examination on most of what Evangelical Christians believe I recommend Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. I like it so much I have both the print and the electronic copies. And by condensed I mean it is still a tome (1000 pages or so) but it covers virtually everything in Christianity. Millard Erickson also has a solid Systematic Theology book.
Again, I don't want to derail Pastor's Phil's intention for this thread.
Phil mentions he'll write more on an environment of honesty, and I look forward to it. I think one of the keys to an environment of honesty is that it starts at the top (not implying anything here). When pastoral staff and lay leadership - deacons and elders (or whatever they are called in the particular church) - are able to be open and honest in their church dealings it goes a long way to creating this environment. It keeps everyone on the same page, working towards common goals. When this doesn't happen the best decisions for the church are not made, and people become protective of their "pet" ministries. It excites me that I don't see a lot of this protectionism or siloing at Crossroads Church.
Big Chris
hey big chris-
not sure what you're getting at in the last paragraph, but my intention wasn't to slam evangelicals, pastor phil or CR, nor am i trying to be devisive.
for anyone who follows this blog however, i did make an excellent point regarding very important doctrine.
please remember that i did so only as a rebuttal to your very bold & argueably inflamtory remark against individuals & an entire movement.
ps- never mind about the 'last paragraph' comment. after re-reading it, it's obvious to me that you were getting back to the main topic at hand.
sorry, my bad!
i enjoy communicating with you & i do appreciate your opinions!
I was just quoting James Brown, yes, THE James Brown, in it not being to scale. Like James needed the bullhorn... :-)
Big Chris
hey cjb1982-
do you care to share how you reconcile your being gay with being a christian (if indeed you are a confessing christian)?
i understand if you'd rather not. you did throw it out there though, like you might want to discuss it, so i don't want to ignore you either.
know what i'm saying?
Eteamer speaks the truth--the building layout was accurate but when the walls are built it will seem 10 times bigger than it looks.
Cjb, I too would like to comment on your post. You will not be shot for saying you're gay at Crossroads. We will love you and welcome you, but like all sin, we will encourage you to face your sin and get help. If you want help just call...
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